Turbine-generator



Dec. 17, 1946. n G, B, WARREN 2,412,848

TURBINE-GENERATOR Filed Jan. 3. 1944 nVYTtor: A

Glenn B. Warren.

Patented Dec. 17, 1946 i v UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 2,412,848 TURBINE-GENERATOR Glenn B. Warren, Schenectady, N. Y., assigner Yto General Electric Company, ya corporation vof New York Application January 3, 1944, .,Serial'No. 516,874

6 Claims. (Cl. 290-52) 1 2 The present invention relates to turbine-gentor l5 driven from the turbine and arranged in erators and like machine sets or aggregates havalignment therewith lengthwise of the railroad 'ing two casings connected together to support the car of vehicle i0. The generator 5 has a casing end of one casing on Ythe adjacent end of the 6 with anges il' on each side rigidly secured other casing. Such support may e accomplished 5 to a support on the frame l2 by means including by rigidly securing or hanging the adjacent casbolts lf3. The turbine has a casing l with an ining ends together. In certain instances, as where let chest adjacent the generator l5, The ow the casings are subject during operation to conof elastic huid from the Ichest to the turbine is siderable stresses or bending forces or misaligncontrolled by valve means 2l. The turbine has a ment, a rigid connection between them may be lo rotor 22 with a shaft 255 and a bucket wheel or injurious to the safe operation of the machines. wheels 2t secured thereto and in the present in- The object of my invention is to provide an imstance integrally formed therewith. The shaft proved construction and arrangement for sup- 25 is rigidly secured to the generator shaft by porting the adjacent ends of two aligned machine means of a coupling 25. rI'he exhaust end of the casings on each other whereby the setting up of turbine casing iii is connected to av condenser 2t lstresses dueto such connection or support is subin alignment with the turbine by means of a sub stantially avoided, stantially cylindrical exhaust conduit 2 flanged This is accomplished in accordance with'my inat its right-hand end to the exhaust end of the vention by the provision of a ball and socket supturbine casing iii and its left-hand end to a port between the casings, the socket being formed anged inlet of the condenser 26. 'by an end portion of one casing and the ball by The turbine-generator in the present example the adjacent end portion of the other casing. is a three-bearing set, that the rotors of the Such arrangement constitutes a firm support be- Vgenerator and turbine are supported by three tween the casings and at the same time permits bearings. A bearing 28 .is arranged to support limited angular movement between them. zo the outer end of the generator rotor on the gen- For a consideration of what I believe to lbe erator casing in conventional manner` Annovel and my invention, attention is directed to other bearing is arranged between the turbine the following description and the claims appendand the generator to support the adjacent ends ed thereto in connection with the accompanying of the two rotors, and a third bearing 3i? located drawing. 30 inthe exhaust conduit supports the outer end In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates an arrangeof the turbine rotor on the conduit The bearment embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is an ing 29 has an outer spherically-shaped surface 3i enlarged detail view of a part of Fig. l. engaging a similarly shaped supporting ring 32 The invention is of particular significance in which in turn is supported by an annular bracket connection 'with turbine-generators for mobile :4,5 secured to, the present instance integrally power plants supported on railroad cars or like formed with, annular casing "ill which at its vehicles. Such turbine-generators are of considleft-hand end has a flange secured to a flange erable length and arranged lengthwise of the supof the turbine casing i9 and circurnferentially porting truck. When moving through a curve positioned r tive to the latter by radial key or over a rough track and Aalso due to tempera- .m means The casing Zit broadly lis an extension ture changes the car and the turbine-generator ofthe turbine cas-ing la and the turbine shaft 23 casings thereon are subject to considerable bendis supported on the extension 3i by the bearing ing forces which would set up excessive stresses fifi, which latter through the rigid coupling 25 if the adjacent ends ofthe casings of the turbine also acts `a support for the generator shaft.

and the generator were rigidly secured together. bearing at for supporting the shaft 23 near The provision of yieldable or loose supporting the exhaust end of the casing i9 is held on and means, Asuch yas a ball and socket connection beenclosed by an inner casing which in turn is tween Vthe turbine and generator casings, howenclosed by and supported on an outer casing 3Q ever, precludes the setting up of great .stresses in located within the exhaust conduit i2? and held the casings. More specically, the arrangement 5o and centered thereon by a plurality of circumferas shown in the drawing comprises a railroad car entially spaced supports Both casings 3i? I0 having truck means l! and a frame l2 supare sealed to each other and to the turbine shaft ported on a railroad track I3. The .frame l2 conto permit the annular space between te be stitutes a foundation or support for a turbineed to the atmosphere and also to preclude sub generator comprising a turbine I4 and a `generastantial heat transfer from the elastic fluid in the exhaust conduit 21 to the interior of the inner casing 38 and to the bearing 3Q. The exhaust conduit 2l has opposite fianges or feet el rigidly secured to the frame l2 by meansincluding bolts 42, thus forming a rigid support for the exhaust end of the turbine casing I9. The inlet end of the turbine casing according to my invention is yieldingly or loosely supported on the adjacent end of the generator casing i6 by means of a ball and socket connection between them. present example the extension Srl of the turbine casing I9 has an annular spherically-shaped portion 43 engaging and supported on a socket formed by a spherically-snaped portion d4 of an end shield 5,5 of the generator casing I6. Thus the end of the turbine casing is loosely supported on the adjacent end of the generator casing by a ball and socket connection formed between them. This permits each casing to move angularly about the center of the ball and socket connection without thereby setting up stresses in the other casing. The feet @i on opposite sides of the exhaust conduit Z1 together with the socket 44 near the inlet end of the turbine casing broadly constitute a three-point support for the turbine casing.

The ball and socket connection completely encloses the shaft 23. Therefore the speed-governing mechanism for controlling the valve means 2| is operated from the other end of the shaft 23 enclosed within the exhaust conduit 2l. In the present example a vertical duct i5 is formed between an opening of the exhaust casing 2l and an opening in the outer casing 39. A speed gov-- ernor d1 is accommodated in the ductd and driven from the shaft 23 by a worm gear d8. The governor is connected to the left-hand end of a governor beam 9 which has an intermediate point held on a fulcrum 5t and a right-hand end connected to actuate a conventional hydraulic governing mechanism 5l .for positioning the valve means 2l in response to speed changes of the turbine-generator. The duct i6 also serves to accommodate an oil pump driven from the worm gear 48 for supplying oil under pressure to the hydraulic governing mechanism 5i and to the bearings.

Thus, with my invention I have accomplished an improved construction and arrangement of turbine-generators and like machine sets having aligned shafts securely fastened together and supported by three bearings of which one is located between the sets and held on one of the casings, which latter together with a portion of the other casing forms a ball and socket connection. With such arrangement misalignment of the bearings and bending forces acting on the casings are taken care of by the flexible connection between the castings.

Having described the method of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

'What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A turbine-generator designed and constructed to be supported on a foundation having appreciable flexibility comprising a turbine and a generator having aligned casings with the inlet end of the turbine casing adjacent one end of the generator casing, the inlet end of the turbine casing having a valve chest with valve means in the chest for controlling the flow of elastic In the fluid to the turbine, means forming a ball and socket connection between the adjacent ends of the casings to support one casing on the other casing so as to permit limited angular displacement between the casings without creating excessive stresses therein, and a speed-governing mechanism for controlling the valve means including a speed governor driven from the exhaust end of the turbine shaft, and means connecting the governor to the valve means.

2. In a mobile power plant, a car having a frame of appreciable flexibility, and a turbinegenerator set arranged lengthwise on the frame and including a generator having a iianged casing of substantial axial length rigidly secured throughout its length to the frame and a turbine having a casing of substantial axial length with an inlet end adjacent the generator, means forming a two-point support for the exhaust end of the turbine on the frame, and means flexibly supporting the inlet end of the turbine casing on the adjacent end of the generator casing so as to permit limited angular displacement between the casings without creating excessive stresses therein.

3. A turbine-generator designed and constructed to be mounted on a foundation having appreciable flexibility including a turbine having a casing and a rotor with a shaft, a generator having a casing and a rotor with a shaft aligned with and rigidly connected to the turbine shaft, a three-bearing support for the shafts including separate bearings at the opposite ends of the shafts and a single bearing for` supporting adjacent ends of the shafts, spherical self-aligning supporting means for supporting said single bearing on an end portion of one of the casings, said casing end portion having a sphericallyshaped portion, and a spherical support formed on the other casing for supporting said portion.

e. A turbine generator designed and constructed to be supported on a foundation of appreciable fiexibility comprising a turbine and a generator each having a casing of appreciable axial length, the inlet end of the turbine casing being located adjacent an end of the generator casing and forming a ball and socket connection therewith to support the end cf one casing on the end of the other casing so as to permit limited angular displacement between the casings without creating excessive stresses therein, a cylindrical exhaust conduit extending axially from the exhaust end of the turbine casing, the turbine having a rotor with a shaft extending into the exhaust conduit, bearing means disposed in the exhaust conduit for supporting the turbine shaft, a sealed housing supported within the exhaust conduit and enclosing the bearing, a duct formed through and sealed to the conduit and the housing, and accessory actuated means driven from the turbine shaft and at least partly disposed in said duct.

5. A turbine-generator designed and constructed to be mounted on a foundation having appreciable flexibility comprising a generator having a casing of substantial axial length arranged to be rigidly secured to the foundation throughout its length, a multi-stage turbine with a casing of substantial axial length having a high pressure end of comparatively small diameter axially aligned with and closely arranged to one end of the generator casing and a comparatively large diameter low pressure end disposed remotely from the generator casing, means constructed and arranged to provide a two-point support for the turbine casing on the foundation at a location remote from the generator, and means providing a third point of support for the high pressure end of the turbine casing on the adjacent end of the generator easing, said last-named means including a ball and socket joint permitting limited angular displacement between the turbine and generator casings without creating excessive stresses therein.

6. A turbine-generator designed and construct ed to be mounted on a foundation having appreciable flexibility comprising a generator having a casing of substantial axial length arranged to be rigidly secured to the foundation throughout its length, a multi-stage turbine with a casing of substantial length having a high pressure end of comparatively small diameter axially aligned With and closely arranged to one end of the generator casing and a comparatively large diameter low pressure end disposed remotely from the generator casing and a cylindrical exhaust casing extending axially from the low pressure end of the casing, means constructed and arranged to provide a two-point support for the turbine casing on the foundation at a location remote from the generator, and means providing a third point of support for the high pressure end of the turbine casing on the adjacent end of the generator casing, said last-named means including a ball and socket joint permitting limited angular displacement between the turbine and generator casings Without creating excessive stresses therein, the turbine having a rotor with a shaft supported in a rst bearing Within the ball and socket joint at the generator end and in a second bearing within the exhaust conduit at the low pressure end of the turbine, a sealed housing Within the exhaust conduit and enclosing said second bearing, walls forming a duct through and sealed to the conduit and the housing, and turbine accessory actuating means driven from the turbine shaft and disposed in said duct.

GLENN B. WARREN. 

